In a market like this, businesses need to identify what they want to deliver and why it will benefit this market. Next, they need to take advantage of the wealth of available online tools to effectively communicate the value that they are offering. Only then will they win the attention of these savvy buyers.

I'm not advocating a reckless "anything goes" approach, especially for brands with significant equity. We do, of course, live in a litigious society. But by being too cautious one runs the risk of ignoring those moms who can be your biggest advocates and your best defense in a crisis situation.

It's a challenging task even as the economy begins to recover -- but the fact that 74% of women feel misunderstood by automotive marketers might have something to do with the industry's difficulties. Paired with BabyCenter's August 2009 "Talk to Mom" study, which found 29% of its moms were planning to buy a new car in the next year, this statistic is even more compelling.